Fastening of attachments such as boiler casing to expanded metal



Sept. 27, 1966 M. PINCUS 3,275,073

FASTENING OF ATTACHMENTS SUCH AS BOILER CASING T0 EXPANDED METAL Filed Dec. 28, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY lK/(W AGEN 'T Sept. 27, 1966, M. PINCUS 3,275,073

FASTENING OF ATTACHMENTS SUCH AS BOILER CASING T0 EXPANDED METAL Filed Dec. 28, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR MEYER PINCLJS AGENT United States Patent 3,275,073 FASTENING 0F ATTACHMENTS SUCH AS BOILER CASING T0 EXPANDED METAL Meyer Pincus, Hazardville, Conn., 'assignor to Combustion Engineering, Inc., Windsor, Conn., a corporation of Delaware I Filed Dec. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 421,332 4 Claims. '(Cl. 165-136) This invention relates to a method and apparatus for fastening attachments to expanded metal and in particular to such an arrangement wherein an outer casing may be fastened to a boiler furnace structure.

A furnace of a steam generator is normally surrounded with tubes forming water cooled walls. Outside of these walls a layer of insulation is fastened against the tubes. A convenient form of insulation for this are blankets of an insulating material such as fiberglass. Such blankets are normally secured between metal mesh facings to facilitate handling and support of the blanket.

Although chicken wire is occasionally used for such a purpose, expanded metal is more frequently used because of its added strength. The expanded metal mesh is well known in the art and is formed from integral sheets of metal. A large number of small cuts are made in the sheet and the sheet is stretched out so that the material forms diamond shaped openings.

An outer meallic casing is placed on the outside of the insulation to provide for weather resistance and to improve the general appearance. In order to support such a casing the structural framing is generally placed throughout the unit. This framing is then capable of supporting the casing as well as other light structural attachments such as pipe hangers and wiring troughs.

In my invention metallic clips having dart-shaped points are inserted through and attached to the expanded metal. The casing and other attachments are then supported from a plurality of these clips.

It is an object of my invention to provide a light and inexpensive method for attaching boiler casing to an outer furnace wall.

It is a further object to provide a method whereby attachments may be simply made to the expanded metal mesh.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the description proceeds.

With the aforementioned objects in view, the invention comprises an arrangement, construction and combination of the elements of the inventive organization in such a manner as to attain the results desired, as hereinafter more particularly set forth in the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment, said embodiment being shown by the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 shows application of boiler casing to a furnace wall;

FIGURE 2 shows a detail of the clip; and

FIGURE 3 shows an ideal relation between the clip sizing and the expanded metal.

Referring to FIGURE 1, a plurality of furnace wall tubes 2 are joined by welded web 3 forming a furnace wall. Light weight, soft metallic impaling pins 4 are welded to the webs 3 at selected locations. An insulating blanket 5 which has integrally attached a layer of chicken wire (not shown) at its inner surface and a layer of expanded metal 7 at its outer surface. This blanket is impaled over the impaling pins 4 and pressed firmly against the furnace wall tubes 2. Washer 8 is placed over the impaling pin 4 which is then bent over to lock the washer in place.

FIGURE 2 illustrates a detail of the clip 9 which has a 3,275,073 Patented Sept. 27, 1966 plurality of dart-shaped .projections 10 around the periphery. Ideally the width of the narrowed portion or support 12 of the dart should be approximately equal to the narrow diagonal of the diamonds in the expanded metal openings.

Each dart 10 is formed of a flat metallic portion. This portion forms an isosceles triangle which is separated from the flat plate portion of the clip by a supporting arm 12 whose length is approximately the thickness of the expanded metal. This supporting arm is centrally located on the base of the isosceles triangle and slightly narrower than the base. The projecting base of the isos celes triangle thereby forms a pair of shoulders 11 which are operative to engage the expanded metal strands when the dart is inserted through an expanded metal mesh.

FIGURE 3 illustrates the clip 19 applied to a sheet of expanded metal 7. Where the pitch of the darts is made a multiple of the pitch of the expanded metal, allthe darts will securely engage the expanded metal on both sides of the dart. If however such an exact matching is not obtained, the expanded metal being relatively elastic will deform to permit the dart to pass through, and the dart will be retained by expanded metal at least on one edge. The dart being of a rigid construction will maintain its shape and position, so that the expanded metal engages on the shoulders of the dart. The darts may be on only two sides as illustrated in FIGURE 3 or on all four sides as illustrated in FIGURE 2.

Referring again to FIGURE 1 the clip 19 is applied to the expanded metal at a preselected location. Thereafter the casing 20 is installed in place and a hole may be drilled through the casing and plate at the preselected location. Self-tapping screw 21 is inserted through the casing at this point to fasten it in place.

Alternately, the clip could be fastened to the casing 20 before the installation of the casing and simply forced through the expanded metal. It is preferable that the clip be fastened in the casing in some manner such as bolting from the outside so that the casing may be readily removed if desired.

The clip may be supplied with a stud 22 welded on its face as illustrated in FIGURE 2 and the light gauge casing may be impaled over the stud after the clip has been installed on the expanded metal. The stud thus projecting may be used to support the boiler casing or other structural attachments. Boiler casing so supported is not subject to hot spots as would one directly supported from the furnace wall tubing by metallic members.

Inasmuch as it is extremely difficult to weld an attachment to thin material such as expanded metal, this clip may be used as welding pads. In such an application the clip would be attached to the expanded metal and in the attachment required could then be welded to the flat portion of the clip.

It is generally advantageous to have the darts located at the outer edges of the clip so that they can better resist bending moments which may be placed thereon. The clip would however operate with reasonable efficacy if the darts were welded to or punched from the center of the flat plate forming the clip.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention it is to be understood that such is merely illustrative and not restrictive and that variations and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth but desire to avail myself of such changes as fall within the purview of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for fastening attachments to a wall structure comprising: expanded metal forming an inte- 7 plate.

thereto at the base of the triangle, the base of the triangle being wider than the supporting portion so as to form shoulders engageable expanded metal. V v V 2. An 'apparatus'as in claim 1 having the dart-shaped projections located only at the outer edges, of the flat withthe metallic strands of the 3. An apparatus as in claim the projections is approximately equal to a multipleof 1 wherein the pitchrof,

the pitch of the expanded metal and where the width of and furnace wall tubing lining the walls thereof compris-.

ingz a blanket of insulating material securely fastened to the furnace wall tubing; said blanket having an expanded metal mesh on its outer surface; a plurality of clips, each a 1 References Cited by the Examiner I UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,808,976 6/1931 Wunderlich ,52,.671 x 15 2,648,315 8/1953 Kunz, a 1226 2,747,269 5/1956 Atchison' 29- -4ss 2,867,035 1/1959 Patterson H 29455 2,889,698 6/1959 Stevens 12251-6 2,900,965 8 1959 'Witzke 1122-6 20 3,042,113 7/ 196 2 Kromer 24-73 FOREIGN PATENTS 5 938,728 '4/ 1948 France. ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

clip having a flatmetallic plate and a plurality of rigid 20 dart-shaped projections approximately perpendicular to said plate; each dart comprising a triangular member supported at the center of its base, so that the edges of the. base form shoulders, with, the supporting member maintaining said base' a distance from the flat plate approximately equal to the thickness of the expanded metal mesh; said clipstbeing forced against the expanded metal mesh so that the dart-shaped projections pass therethrough and the shoulders engagethereon; an outer; casing placed firmly against the expanded metal and clips;

andmeans for securing outer casing to said clips.

M; A. ANTONAKAS, Assistant Examiner. 

4. AN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING BOILER CASING TO A FURNACE AND FURNACE WALL TUBING LINING THE WALLS THEREOF COMPRISING: A BLANKET OF INSULATING MATERIAL SECURELY FASTENED TO THE FURNACE WALL TUBING; SAID BLANKET HAVING AN EXPANDED METAL MESH ON ITS OUTER SURFACE; A PLURALITY OF CLIPS, EACH CLIP HAVING A FLAT METALLIC PLATE AND A PLURALITY OF RIGID DART-SHAPED PROJECTIONS APPROXIMATELY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID PLATE; EACH DART COMPRISING A TRIANGULAR MEMBER SUPPORTED AT THE CENTER OF ITS BASE, SO THAT THE EDGES OF THE BASE FORM SHOULDERS, WITH THE SUPPORTING MEMBER MAINTAINING SAID BASE A DISTANCE FROM THE FLAT PLATE APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE THICKNESS OF THE EXPANDED METAL MESH; SAID CLIPS BEING FORCED AGAINST THE EXPANDED METAL MESH SO THAT THE DART-SHAPED PROJECTIONS PASS THERETHROUGH AND THE SHOULDERS ENGAGE THEREON; AN OUTER CASING PLACED FIRMLY AGAINST THE EXPANDED METAL AND CLIPS; AND MEANS FOR SECURING OUTER CASING TO SAID CLIPS. 